Allergies & Asthma Project Abstract: Allergies and Asthma affect millions of people everyday in this country. Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, which vary in severity and frequency from person to person. Symptoms may occur several times in a day or week in affected individuals, and for some people become worse during physical activity or at night. During an asthma attack, the lining of the bronchial tubes swell, causing the airways to narrow and reducing the flow of air into and out of the lungs. Recurrent asthma symptoms frequently cause sleeplessness, daytime fatigue, reduced activity levels and school and work absenteeism. Asthma has a relatively low fatality rate compared to other chronic diseases.
The fundamental causes of asthma are not completely understood. The strongest risk factors for developing asthma are a combination of genetic predisposition with environmental exposure to inhaled substances and particles that may provoke allergic reactions or irritate the airways, such as:
indoor allergens (for example, house dust mites in bedding, carpets and stuffed furniture, pollution and pet dander)
outdoor allergens (such as pollens and molds)
tobacco smoke
chemical irritants in the workplace
air pollution.
Other triggers can include cold air, extreme emotional arousal such as anger or fear, and physical exercise. Even certain medications can trigger asthma: aspirin and other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, and beta-blockers (which are used to treat high blood pressure, heart conditions and migraines).
Allergies & Asthma Project
Required Class Activity: Straw Breathing Exercise= #1
Individual Activity: Journal Writing: Individually, either on a blank piece of paper or on your Netbook, answer question #1 below. For students who already have asthma...have them watch the other students demonstration and Journal write how YOU felt the last time you had an asthma attack. Group Work: Students will be placed into flexible groups which will include someone who has asthma if applicable. Students will have to work together to come up with a multi-media presentation (http://www.njcccs.org/TechnologyToolbox.aspx) to include the following information. Time Line: 3 class periods will be allotted for gathering info and designing multi-media presentation. Project due date will be no earlier than one week after allotted class time. Multi-Media Presentation Questions: (To be included in presentation)
1. State how and what they felt while doing the breathing exercise . In class activity: (straws will be handed out)
a. Before individual activity, state how you currently feel. b. Students will put large straw in mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe normally for 20 seconds (represents normal breathing). After 20 seconds, state how you currently feel. c. Students will put the small straw in mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe to the best of their ability without cheating for 20 seconds (represents a pre-asthmatic attack). After 20 seconds, state how you currently feel. d. Students run in place for 1 minute, put the small straw in mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe to the best of their ability without cheating for as long as they can (represents a full asthma attack). When you can't breathe through the small straw anymore, state how you currently feel. e. Do you feel there is a difference between asthma when living in a populated city or living out in the country and why?
2. Find 2 websites and list examples on different ways that a person with asthma can deal/cope with this condition everyday. (i.e. medications, slow breathing exercises)
4. Why do more people have Asthma now then 20 years ago? What is the correlation between asthma and air quality? Statistics? (i.e. find or make a graph with data found that supports the question)
Abstract:
Allergies and Asthma affect millions of people everyday in this country. Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, which vary in severity and frequency from person to person. Symptoms may occur several times in a day or week in affected individuals, and for some people become worse during physical activity or at night. During an asthma attack, the lining of the bronchial tubes swell, causing the airways to narrow and reducing the flow of air into and out of the lungs. Recurrent asthma symptoms frequently cause sleeplessness, daytime fatigue, reduced activity levels and school and work absenteeism. Asthma has a relatively low fatality rate compared to other chronic diseases.
Required Class Activity: Straw Breathing Exercise= #1
Individual Activity: Journal Writing: Individually, either on a blank piece of paper or on your Netbook, answer question #1 below.For students who already have asthma...have them watch the other students demonstration and Journal write how YOU felt the last time you had an asthma attack.
Group Work: Students will be placed into flexible groups which will include someone who has asthma if applicable. Students will have to work together to come up with a multi-media presentation (http://www.njcccs.org/TechnologyToolbox.aspx) to include the following information. Time Line: 3 class periods will be allotted for gathering info and designing multi-media presentation. Project due date will be no earlier than one week after allotted class time.
Multi-Media Presentation Questions: (To be included in presentation)
1. State how and what they felt while doing the breathing exercise . In class activity: (straws will be handed out)
a. Before individual activity, state how you currently feel.b. Students will put large straw in mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe normally for 20 seconds (represents normal breathing). After 20 seconds, state how you currently feel.
c. Students will put the small straw in mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe to the best of their ability without cheating for 20 seconds (represents a pre-asthmatic attack). After 20 seconds, state how you currently feel.
d. Students run in place for 1 minute, put the small straw in mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe to the best of their ability without cheating for as long as they can (represents a full asthma attack). When you can't breathe through the small straw anymore, state how you currently feel.
e. Do you feel there is a difference between asthma when living in a populated city or living out in the country and why?
2. Find 2 websites and list examples on different ways that a person with asthma can deal/cope with this condition everyday. (i.e. medications, slow breathing exercises)
1. http://www.medicinenet.com/asthma/article.htm2. http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm
3.http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/allergy_asthma/about_asthma/Pages/index.aspx
3. Students will locate the current Air Quality levels in our area. Why? (i.e. asthma trigger levels such as trees, grasses, pollen).
1. http://www.airnow.gov/2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_quality
3. http://www.answers.com/topic/air-quality
4. http://njaqinow.net/
5. http://njairquality.com/
6. http://www.nj.gov/dep/infofinder/topics/air.htm
7. http://www.weather.com/activities/health/airquality/
4. Why do more people have Asthma now then 20 years ago? What is the correlation between asthma and air quality? Statistics? (i.e. find or make a graph with data found that supports the question)
1. http://healthandenergy.com/asthma_increasing.htm2. http://www.allergyandasthma.wppts.com/html/asthma_cases_increasing.php
3. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=9087
5. Search and find a professional athlete that has Asthma and learn how they managed this condition while being involved in professional sports.
1. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306639,00.html2. http://www.teenhealthfx.com/answers/Sports/5438.html
3. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_professional_athletes_have_asthma
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/treatment_room/newsid_2340000/2340911.stm
5. http://www.chop.edu/service/allergy/allergy-and-asthma-information/famous-people-with-asthma.html
6. http://asthma.about.com/od/asthmaresources/tp/AR_Famous_People.htm
GRADING RUBRIC